Hong Kong Preview & Best Bets – Wednesday February 22
Hong Kong Tips 22/02/2023
Our form expert provides Hong Kong tips for tonight’s horse racing at Happy Valley Racecourse and gives his best bets.
BEST BET 🏆
Race 5: No.3 LEAN HERO ($5 with Ladbrokes)
David Hayes saddles-up LEAN HERO here who has found his mojo after three starts back and looks ideally placed here for back-to-back victories tonight. Last start, the Maurice colt was third-up and looking for improvement when he produced a top-class effort, beating home a 14-strong field in a Class 4 Hcp, here over 1650m. He ran a new personal best that night, covering the mile trip, 1.4 lengths quicker than benchmark, the best in this field. He also recorded the fastest final 800m to 200m sectionals for the contest. Karis Teetan sticks with him tonight and now a track and distance winner and at his peak after those three runs, jumping form gate two he should prove very hard to beat here.
NEXT BEST 🥈
Race 3: No.4 LEGION OF MERIT ($3.60 with bet365)
The Chris So-trained LEGION OF MERIT is in top-shelf form this preparation and looks well placed here to go on with it tonight. Last start, the Alamosa gelding made it five-straight podium finishes when he finished third in a Class 4 Hcp, here over 1605m. Vince Ho wasn’t happy with the dawdling pace up front, so he circled the field (after settling third-last) and took control passing the 800m mark. Leading them into the straight, he put two lengths on the field and although grabbed by a couple of late-finishers, still fought on well to hold third place that night. With some early speed here (from Ariel and Gang Of Brothers both likely to set the pace), this should give the six-year-old a chance to settle near mid-field with cover as he draws nicely in gate three. Vince Ho remains aboard tonight and with the pace on up front, he should be finishing on behind them and looking the winner at some stage.
BEST VALUE 💰
Race 8: No.5 SOLAR WINDS ($3.80 with Palmerbet)
The Caspar Fownes-trained SOLAR WINDS has mixed his form this campaign but a change of scenery might just be the ticket here tonight. Last start, the Zoustar gelding came off two unplaced runs at Sha Tin when he drew a better gate and beat all but one to the line in a Class 3 Hcp over 1400m on the same track. He also ran a new personal best that day, covering the trip, 6.3 lengths quicker than benchmark, the best in this line-up. He returns to Happy Valley tonight where he has just two previous starts, resulting in one podium finish. The secret here could be the booking of Hugh Bowman for the ride who has ridden the four-year-old just once previously, which resulted in victory that day. He gets the gun-run from gate one tonight and with Bowman aboard, he just might collect his second career victory.